Courses in humanities at the University of Southern Indiana are designed to impart an understanding of some of the major ideas and creative work of world culture. Students learn to recognize and respond to the strengths and shortcomings of various humanistic traditions and appreciate the diverse voices that have shaped them.

Humanities courses seek to:

Acquaint students with the world’s heritage of art, architecture, literature, music and philosophy.

Teach students to comprehend and appreciate primary documents and artifacts important to establishing and maintaining human traditions.

Provide a chronology for the significant events, persons and periods of development in world culture.

Develop students' critical and analytical thinking skills by teaching them to identify, consider and evaluate ideas and recurring themes in various cultural traditions, especially with regard to the strengths and weaknesses of those ideas.

Aid students in tolerating and responding appropriately to ideas and values other than their own.